New figures show that only one in eight people have served on a public body and that the majority of them are men from white backgrounds. Now a new campaign is being led by the Government Equalities Office and the Cabinet Office to encourage a more diverse group of people to apply for public appointments and so better reflect the communities they serve.

The Government has named the nine local councils which it will work with to develop a programme of action to tackle climate change. The Communities Secretary, John Denham, said radical action by local authorities to drive down carbon emissions would cut fuel bills and reduce global warming.

The problem with data collected by police officers is that it can be incomplete or just wrong. Sometimes people give false information and sometimes errors creep in. The author explains how by linking to other databases the new data can be cross checked and amplified to give an accurate and fuller picture.